University of Wisconsin–Madison

Singapore: Laomani Sisongkham (Food in Singapore)

Food in Singapore

A food stand with a green sign has an ordering counter and a sign below it with pictures of the menu items and their prices.
Lao Fu Zi

For this blog post, I will highlight the variety of cultures in Singapore, how they tie into the various cuisines, and two of my favorite dishes thus far!

Singapore as a city-state holds a deep history, being a British colony until the year 1958. With the foundations of an English-speaking country right under Malaysia, Singapore is a unique cultural hub with people from all over the world. Although Singaporeans hold a wide variety of backgrounds, around 75% of citizens can have their roots traced back to China. The Chinese cultural influence has an incredible pull here, having a very prominent Chinatown (Chinese Lunar New Year was on Feb. 10th!) with all kinds of traditional and innovative Chinese dishes. The same can be said about the Indian heritage found in Singapore, with a designated Little India as well. Where Singaporean cuisine takes off is the wide variety of cultures aside from those two, and how the food scene is amongst the best in the world.

A bowl and spoon with sliced chicken served on top of white rice, with a small bowl of brown sauce next to it.
Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice is one of, if not the most prominent staple food in Singapore. A dish created by Chinese immigrants, a truly simple dish boasts immense flavor from, well, just rice and chicken. This meal is so world-renowned, that multiple stalls have been Michelin-recognized. Singapore is one of the few places in the world where you can get a Michelin-starred meal for 3 USD. Another popular dish that is a favorite of mine is Fried Kway Teow, a noodle dish that can be flavored with black or white sauce dish that holds immense flavor. My favorite is from 5 5-year straight Michelin-recognized stall Lao Fu Zi, located in Lau Pa Sat Hawker Center. Why I highlight these dishes is no matter how simple the ingredients, the cultures present find ways to create truly unique and flavorful dishes here in Singapore.

A rectangular plate filled with noodles and other ingredients, and two pairs of white chopsticks.
Fried Kway Teow Black (Michelin Star)
Laomani smiles in front of windows with red trim.

Laomani Sisongkham

Major: Operations & Technical Management, Supply Chain Management, Marketing

Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin

Program: Singapore – National University of Singapore Business School Exchange